Sunday 30th November 2003, Day 78/273 - Las Vegas, Nevada to San Diego, California

I have no recollection of what happened last night. I was definitely sick as I have the stains to prove it. Luckily today is washing day. I haven't been sick for 15 years and never been sick through alcohol. That's another first for this year. At least I didn't get the chance to lose any more money.

I've never forgotten what I did before. I've always had some vague memory, but not this time. I could have got married or anything. After all this is Vegas. I need to put the pieces back together.

I spent the day with Mark, Jill and Sarah trying to work out what happened. When we worked it out 2 40oz bottles of beer are equivalent to 8 regular bottles of beers drunk in about an hour. I hadn't eaten all day apart from the waffles and half a roll. The plan was to eat out.  I never got that far.

Gradually other events started cropping up. Apparently we went to the bar in the hostel and I drank pints of white russian (minus the milk) that Sarah told me to try. I vaguely remember sipping one and saying it was nice. Apparently I thought it was so nice that I took a glass with me whilst walking up the street.

We then got the bus to the Stratosphere where we spent some time before walking to the Sahara. It was outside the Sahara that I sat on the pavement saying for Mark to leave me and that I would be alright.  I just couldn't go any further. Thankfully he called me a cab, gave me $10 and that got me back to the hostel. It's scary not remembering, but we had a good crack when we looked back on it.

I said goodbye to Mark and shared a cab with Jill and Sarah to the Greyhound station. My ticket to San Diego cost $52. It was packed as it's the end of Thanksgiving. They had to lay on an extra bus in the end. Sarah and Jill enjoyed their Greyhound experience. They reckon it was worse that anything they went on in Thailand.

We caught the 18.15 to LA. I'll definitely be back to vegas. It's an amazing place. I spent too much money, but it is just so infectious.

We had an amusing driver. His annoucements went along the lines of :-

"If you're moving about the coach, please be sure to hold on to the overhead racks, as I will be travelling at speeds of 70 mph. If I need to stop suddenly and you are not holding on, then you will still be travelling at 70 mph."

"For your convenience this bus is fitted with a restroom. You will notice that I didn't say for your comfort, and after you've used it you will see why."

The American next to me was nice enough apart from every time he wanted to say something to me, he kept digging me in the ribs. We were talking about exotic foods and he said that he had a friend who'd eaten lamb. He looked at me kind of strange when I said that I ate it every week back home. I'm gobsmacked that this guy thinks eating lamb is weird.

We had an awful journey in holiday traffic. We arrived an hour and a half late in Los Angeles at 2.00 where I said bye to Sarah and Jill, who are heading to San Francisco. I caught the 3.30 to San Diego, where they had to lay on 4 extra buses. We eventually arrived in San Diego at 5.00.

At a rest stop on the way an English Guy went to get off the bus and said to the driver "Can I get off and smoke a fag?"

"What do you want to shoot a gay guy for?" said the driver. True story!